Bill Foulkes

William Anthony " Bill" Foulkes ( born January 5, 1932 in St Helens, † November 25, 2013 ) was an English football player and coach.

Life

Foulkes was born in 1932 in St Helens in the County of Lancashire. His grandfather was captain of the England rugby team. The first experience with the football made ​​the Englishman at Whiston Boys Club. In the early days of his career he worked in the Lea Green Colliery.

Career

The Englishman was brought in 1950 by Matt Busby at Manchester United. His preferred position was in the course of the career of the central defender or the bias Oppers. He played 679 appearances for the Red Devils and is therefore still behind Ryan Giggs and Sir Bobby Charlton The player with the third most appearances for the club. In the seasons 1957/58, 1959/60, 1963/64 and 1964/65 the defender played in all games in the season. Foulkes scored nine goals in 18 official matches seasons as a professional, winning it four championships, one FA Cup, and in 1968 once the European Champions Cup. However, he only played once for the England football team.

1950-1957

Foulkes was discovered in 1950 during a game for the Whiston Boys Club of Manchester United. He wrote in March of that year, 18 -year-old his first pro contract and was promoted in August 1951 in the first team. His competitive debut was on 12 December 1952 as a right-back against Liverpool. During this period he also completed two games for the English U-23 selection. Parallel Foulkes continue working part-time in the coal mine, since he had not yet convinced of his own qualities as a professional football player. The first goal for the " Red Devils " shot Foulkes on 2 January 1954 at St James' Park against Newcastle United. On 2 October 1954 he played against Northern Ireland (2-0), the first and last time for the English national team. After the convening of the Team of the defenders gave up his job at the mine to now fully concentrate on football. In the 1955/56 season Foulkes won his first British Championship, and nearly two years later, Bill Foulkes was a member of the United team that on 6 February in 1958 after a European Cup match on British European Airways Flight 609 on the Munich-Riem airport accident. While teammates such as Duncan Edwards, Tommy Taylor and Roger Byrne died, Foulkes remained virtually unharmed and was able to continue his career immediately.

1958-1969

After the plane crash was Foulkes captain of the Red Devils, while followers of Roger Byrne. The decimated team then finished only ninth in the championship and also in different national champion trophy in the semifinals of. In the season 1962/63 Manchester United, with only the 19th place in the league, but gained the FA Cup final against Leicester City. In the season 1964/65 Manchester United won the first English championship since the plane crash.

Three years later, Bill Foulkes won its greatest international success after Manchester United was a wide time become masters in the previous season. Bill Foulkes was alongside Bobby Charlton the only survivor of the disaster of Munich, who was also ten years later still part of the team. In the semi-finals of the European Cup competition the national champion club Real Madrid faced and after a 1-0 first-leg win at Old Trafford, United were at half-time of the second leg with 1:3 rear. The game finally ended 3-3 and Bill Foulkes got in the 77th minute, even in the equalizer to draw. In the final, Benfica was defeated by two goals from Bobby Charlton in the extension 4-1.

The last of his 683 games made ​​compulsory Foulkes on 16 August 1969 for the Southampton FC.

Coaching career

Immediately after the end of his playing career, Foulkes began his career as a coach. From 1970 to 1975 he was responsible for the youth player of Manchester United and then worked preferably abroad. These included the U.S., the clubs Chicago Sting, Tulsa Roughnecks and San Jose Earthquakes, as well as in Norway, the club IL Bryn, Steinkjer FK, Lillestrøm SK and Viking Stavanger. With his last exposure to Japan at FC Mazda (now Sanfrecce Hiroshima ) he left after more than forty years in business in football.

Others

Since June 2000, Foulkes led Japanese tourists through the Old Trafford stadium.

Achievements

• Four times English champions (1956, 1957, 1965, 1967)
• Once English Cup (1963 )
• One -time European Cup Winners ' Cup (1968 )